Tessa Against All Odds
by VirginiaVast
Summary: Last year Tessa was chosen for the Hunger Games, but her sister, Angela, took her place. Now when Tessa's sister, Mercy, is drawn Tessa takes her place. When her brother Matt is also drawn, Tessa and Matt must face the games together with hope one will survive.
1. Chapter 1

I can't believe that was one year ago.

'One year ago, I was drawn at the reaping. Like a distant memory, I remember that horrible day. It was my fifteenth birthday and Angela, Mercy, and I checked into the reaping. The memory skips to Effie Trinket saying, "My the odds be ever in your favor. Ladies first," as I watched her drop her over styled nails into the bowl. A bowl that held someone's death. The crowded trembled as she announced the name, "Tessa Quint."

I froze at the sound of my name and began a dazed walk surrounded by guards. My only friend, Rose, reached out to me, but a guard pulled her away. My sisters Mercy and Angela looked at me, their eyes feeling with tears. I tried to look for my brother Matt in the crowd, but the guards surrounding me blocked my view. As they dragged me away, I realized that it was real. I was the tribute. I was going to die.

Angela suddenly yelled from the crowd, "I volunteer as tribute!" I stared at her in horror. She was volunteering her life over mine. I started to refuse, but my voice was muffled by the crowd.'

The rest of that week we got watched Angela fight in the games. Shortly after she died, she was unwilling to kill anyone and the Careers struck. We watched her die, away from Mercy, Matt, and I. Rose stayed with us that night. She watched as I cried and hugged me. She held Matt's hand and sang a song for Mercy. She saved us.

Now I am walking to the reaping again. Mercy is thirteen now, her name in twice. Matt's and my names are both in twenty. Twenty times. Despite what Effie says the odds aren't in my favor. If I am picked again I will not have Angela to save me and Mercy has less of a chance than me. As Mercy and I separated I stood along side Rose with the rest of the sixteen-year-olds. The people in the crowd awkwardly fumble along waiting for Effie to take the stage. I catch Matt's eye from across the crowd, we both remember this day as Angela's end. I start to think about my name in the bowl of names, but Matt has it worse. Matt has no one to volunteer for him if he is drawn. His only friend is Angela, his only family Mercy and I.

While I was lost in thought, Rose had to nudge me because Effie had taken the stage. I looked up as she rambled on to full of emotion to listen. Finally I caught the words, "May the odds be ever in your favor, ladies first." I watched as her hand fished in the bowl, selecting the name of some unlucky child.

Suddenly her fingers closed around a name. "Mercy Quint." I watched as the guards grabbed my sister unable to respond. I stood on my tiptoes, unsure of what I was doing. "I volunteer as tribute."


	2. Chapter 2

Rose stared at me. She knew what I would do, but she was still shocked. Guards dragged me to the stage like before, but this time I could see Matt with tears in his eyes that he couldn't save me. Mercy started to scream, but I put my finger to my lips to quiet her. I put on a brave face, like I knew what I was doing. Rose began to stand on her tiptoes like me, but I shook my head at her, I could not have everyone I loved sacrificing for me, then there would be nothing for me to live for. I walked with the guards to the stage.

"I compliment you on your bravery." Effie began, "You look familiar, what is your name sweetheart?"

"Tessa Quint," I mumbled into the microphone.

"So, Mercy was your sister," she starts, "what a brave sacrifice. Would you happen to be the Tessa Quint drawn last year?"

I gulped down my feelings, "Yes," I said in a voice quieter than intended.

"We all feel sorry for the ending of your sister, Angela."

I tried not to cry, if I cried Mercy would worry, so would Matt. I sat down waiting to hear the name of who was coming with me, or I guess my competitor. I watched as Effie's hands fished in the bowl, "Matt Quint."

I was paralyzed. Matt was going with me. A million questions raced around in my mind, but the most constant one, 'only one of us can make it home.' I watched as Matt walked up surrounded by the guards, the rest of the boys too cowardly to save him. Though I sacrificed myself, I did not want him to get sacrificed. I looked to Rose in the crowd crying even louder and hugging Mercy. Matt looked back to them, his eyes full of tears. When he joined Effie and me on stage she began to ask, "Are you her sis…"

Matt interrupts, "Yes," sharper than I expected. Then we looked at each with worry in our eyes. "Our district twelve tributes! May the odds be ever in your favor," Effie announces as the cameras stop rolling.

Matt and I are pulled to the side of the stage. Effie tells us we were great and we our introduced to our instructor Haymitch. I remember the year he won the Hunger Games, I was four. Guards surround Matt and me and lead us to two doors. I am escorted inside to find Rose and Mercy.

"Remember Tessa, to use your speed and your agility. Make sure to practice hand-to-hand combat. Um, keep Matt safe, like stay together so your chances are better." Rose says. I try not to cry, apparently Rose had thought this through while I was on stage. Mercy gives me a hug and I watch her fight back tears. She doesn't tell me to win, she couldn't, that would betray Matt.

"One of you make it out," Mercy slowly said.

"Go see Matt," Rose tells Mercy.

"Please take care of her," I beg Rose, "if Mercy dies too I don't know what I will do." Rose shook her head and hugged me.

"I would have done it you know, I would have gone in for you," she whispers through tears.

"I will miss you Rose." I let her out of the room to see Matt.

For the remaining half of the minute I sit and wait for the guards to escort me out of the room. Matt or I have to win for Rose and Mercy.


	3. Chapter 3

After touring all the districts on a train I was exhausted, but I began to realize how real this is. The food amazing, but our lives in jeopardy. The sad way people looked at us, knowing we would die. After the end of the tour I slept an entire day. I woke up early in the morning to a buffet of literally glowing food. The colorful pallet ranged from lava red to cobalt blue. As I filled my plate four people entered the room and dragged me into a big, green room labeled make-up.

Five minutes later, a stick thin women with an orange tan, going by the name of Clandi, stuffs me into a shower. A teenager with blue hair, named Jessamyn, is pulling on my hair with a hairbrush. While, a male with literally twenty piercings, named Dabra is killing my leg by doing what he calls 'waxing.' Suddenly I am dragged out of the shower, against my will, and a white foam is being rubbed into my hair. Jessamyn begins to take hot machine (she says will straighten my hair) and pull it down my locks. "I have never seen such beautiful, honey-colored hair," Jessamyn commented.

"And I have never seen such hairy legs," replies Dabra. I watch as he begins waxing my armpits, burning like the straightening machine on my hair. Then Clandi starts to pull on my eyebrows, making them smaller and smaller. When Jessamyn, Dabra, and Clandi finish, a new stylist begins to cover my cheeks and face with make-up, his strange make-up worrying me. Seeing my worried expression he says, "Don't worry I can only make you look normal, only Infinity can make you look special."

I close my eyes and make all of the commotion disappear. 'I am sitting in the schoolyard braiding Mercy's hair and laughing. Matt comes up with a toad and starts chasing Rose around with it. Angela tries to stop him, but falls in the mud, making me laugh harder. Mercy and I give up on her knotted hair and begin to dance around and try and steal the toad from Matt. Later that night Rose's mom died of illness. Then we realized it we were alone. We had to stick to together to stay alive.'

I open my eyes to someone new in the room in a sparkly get-up. Even his hair sparkled when he moved. He studied me like prey then took out his sketchbook. This must be Infinity.

"Every year the coal minor get-up is sad and boring, the poor children buried in it covered in smoke and nothing to remember. But I will make you shine dear Tessa. Sparkle even!" He shows me a sketch, "Look! A dark, silk dress covered in black sparkles, like coal, and with a glowing layer under that leaks through to make you shine!" To me the dress seems right out of a dream. Infinity leaves the room and I fall asleep dreaming of me in the beautiful dress.

"It's a big, big, big day!" I wake to the sound of Effie's voice. I jump out of bed and look through the closet of clothes set out for me. "No, I picked it out for you!" Effie says, her pink hair bobbling with her head. I look down at the clothes she laid out. A neon yellow tank top with neon orange and pink striped matching pants and jacket. This isn't something I would wear, but I might as well make her happy while I can. I throw on the outfit and sit down next to Matt. He is already dressed and up, talking to Haymitch about strategies for shooting arrows. I look at Matt and see his sleepy, red eyes. Of course he couldn't sleep, how could I with all this going on? I go to the buffet and pick out a purplish bagel-like-thing with a blue gel on top and some gushy fruits. Pouring myself some green juice, before sitting down again. Matt and I stare at the food, more extravagant than anything we have seen our lives, but still we can't bare to eat it.

Matt and I sit staring at the food until we finally start to cry. We hugged each other to say the words, not needing to speak. Then, we went back to our rooms. I sat wide-awake thinking of a world without the Hunger Games, without pain, without hunger, without hatred, without longing.

An hour later I am escorted to a make-up room again. Glitz covers my eyes with a glowing black powder. Clandi is covering my lips in a metallic black lipstick. Jessamyn is covering my cheeks in a red, orange, and yellow powder in an extravagant flame pattern. Dabra is styling my hair into what started as a bun, but then twirls magnificently like fire.

Infinity, then walks in, with my amazing dress. I put it on, its thin ruffled black sleeves turning into glowing fire, the skirt twirling as I move, looks like fire burning, and the hair piece flaming, spread around my hair style with a firebird at the end positioned to fly.


End file.
